Monday, April 21, 2008

I took my lovely bride and some friends and drove to Ames on Friday evening to see Expelled on its opening night.The theater was packed, even some college students sitting on the floor in the aisle.We thoroughly enjoyed the movie. There were several laugh out loud funny parts, old black and white comedy routines interspersed throughout numerous segments of serious discussion. PZ, Dawkins and others trying to tell how evil God was while attempting to also appear erudite, stuff-isticated, although they managed to come across as arrogant members of the species Equus asinus; male version refered to as Jack.

The theater was deathly silent as Ben Stein visited with the tour guide at Hadamar mental hospital talking about the scientists and medical personal even in the years before Hitler, Darwinists, who had already begun the process of gathering up the weak and disabled, the "useless eaters" to prevent them from being a hindrance to the superior, fitter members of society. Then walking through the chambers at Dachau and considering the thousands of people who died simply because one group of people believed they were superior to another group of people. Survival of the fittest, or something like that,

I thought the movie was well done. Even if you do not like the ID approach to worldviews, you will find that Stein and friends make an excellent case that freedom of speech is being limited for those who hold a view outside of the Darwinist/anti-god camp.

After the movie was over, ProfessorGuillermo Gonzalez author of The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery. spoke and answered several questions. Dr. Gonzalez was one of the professors in Expelled who lost his chance at tenure because he dared to mention ID in his book. He was personally targeted for refusal of tenure by the head of the Religious Studies department at Iowa State University Dr. Hector Avalos (an atheist).Dr. Gonzalez talked about what had been done to him and what he was doing in the future.

Afterward on the way out we were handed a propaganda sheet by some of Avalos's minions promoting a lecture by Avalos refuting the film.

All in all a good evening, topped off with BBQ ribs at Hickory Park, my favorite rib joint.

Well worth the time and effort of making the trip down to Ames.

BTW, I've said this before, but please get the Privileged Planet DVD or the book and see Dr. Gonzalez's work, it is outstanding.